New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-09
THE IRISH CASE STATED.
MR. DILLON AND OTHER LEADERS ON The
LONDON TIlESs" ATTACK.
WHY FRESHMEN PBEFERRKD PARlAAnhNI
yEsrIGATIoN TO TRIAL IN COURT OF La"
-CRowTH OF ENGLISH FEELiN"
AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

AGAINST THE GovERNMENI'
rpv CABLE TO TEE TRIBUNE.l
cop,rfoht; 1897: North american c@''e 'e"' .o' ,
LONDON. May ST. have )us' ooen IT,
,nQ with Mr. Dillon and other leadne n,e'"'
of the Irish party about the burning q"es.'o" ~,
the hour, and / am authorized III VniS u'I".sn 49,
TO give you their views ana Uhe Nio"' "
,artv as a whole on the subject
ri,st LOT me saw that, as I Informed you some
r-oeks oco. and as Mr.. Dillon announced last
night in the House of Commons, the lrish leaders
believe they have got clew to the fofger oil 'he
,arneu letter in "1he Times OF course II Is
not a matter of certainty as yet, but they nave
the best reasons for believing that they are Oh
the right track. The refusal of the Government
10 grant q Parliamentary committee or INQUIRY
is due to simple and disgraceful fact' lhey
consulted "1he Times" and Tho Times had
TO confess it had no cause and they know thao
on no account would Irish members bring inc
matter into an English court of law. 1t then
became question of investigation or no inves-
Higation. That was the square issue, decided
Friday night. The Irish members courted the
inquiry. 1t was their slanderers who shirSed it.
Why is it the Irish members refuse to enter
court of law and are eager to lay their case before
Parliamentary committee? To begin wlth'
they deny that it is they who are on their de-
fence in this matter 1t is "The Times and
its allies and court of law as q tribunal for
bringing these culprits to Justice in comparison
with select committee Of the House Of Commons
would have many vital disadvantages. The most
important of these, important disadvan-
tage in Irish eyes even than its partialty, Is the
fact That court of law would not give an OPP
portunity to expose the whole OF the slandcrous
conspiracy whereas a Parliamentary committee
would The investigation would not be thorough.
lt could only bring into court a particular printer
or editor, and the law would strictly limit the
inquiry to the question of their liability. Inc
Irish leaders would be debarred from asking
questions as to who were behind the printer and
the editor, and thus the persons who worked up
this conspiracy, the real people to get at, would
be sheltered There would be no such restriction
in Parliamentary committee. IL can examine
whom it pleases and ask them what questions it
pleases. The Editor of The Times who could
not be questioned at all if he were put in The
dock for criminal libel. would have TO give the
whole history of the forged letter. TO state whom
he got IL from, TO reveal the connection OF mem
hers of the Government with his libel trial and
many another secret which would remain sealed
in court of law This is the crowning recon-
mendation of q Parliamentary committee
legal action moreover, would be left to the
decision of o jury, upon which "The Times,
with the aid of its Tory friends the sherifis OF
MiddleSeX, could manage 10 nave q lew OF It's
partsans. As for the course suggested by the
Government, a criminal prosecution for Libel.
that procedure, as Sir William HarcouIt pointed
out has been abandoned for many years in Eng
land on account of the continual failure OF prose
cutons You Will have observed, of course, the
offer Of Mr. Parnel. Mr.. Dillon, and. on their
behalf of Mr. Gladstone, TO allow the scope OF
the committee to be enlarged beyond the partieu-
lar case of Mr. Dillon TO the forged letter and
the whole range of charges published by The
inquiry would not be fun enough falls to the
ground.
l make no comment here upon the action OF
the 3l7 gentlemen of England who, after trading
for months upon these foul calumnics and taunt-
voted against an Investigation Friday night when
the Irish members took up their challenge and
demanded it. The Irish members have reason 10
congratulate themselves upon the whole episode.
1t has broken the back OF the Coercion bill and
done inetrievable damage to the Tory party
All the respectable papers of their own press.
such as The Standard" are unanimous in CON
demning the Government and no other paper has
said such hard things The Birmingham
Post the organ OF Mr. Chamberlain who has
flung more cowardly slander at the Irish party
than any one else. The effect throughout Eng
land has been to produce u feeling of humiliation
and shame for the action OF the mechanical mo-
lOrty of the House of Commons and to make
warmer the sentiment that has been growing III
favor Of Home Rule with fresh strength since the
agitation against the Coercion BILL during which
tho Irish members attending English meetings
bavo attained degree OF amazing popularity.
r. T.. GILL. NJ. l..